How could you forget
by ChelseaGoldfish
Summary: In a world plagued with an unknown virus two boys, both having forgotten their previous lives, try to figure out and make the most of their situations.    SmokerXHunter Slash, will eventually lead to a NickXEllis side-fic.
1. Chapter 1

How could you forget?

Chelsea Goldsmith

***Warnings- Left 4 Dead and anything associated with it belongs solely to Valve and the only things I claim as my own are the two main characters themselves and the "story" they go through.**

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_The feel of skin against skin. The smell of excitement and sweat. The moans he made every time his lover touched him. The sparks that set off wherever they touch. This was completion. The ultimate sensation. Something that couldn't truly be felt except with that special someone. _

_He shuddered as the caressing hand made it to his hip, one of his many weak spots. Arching his back, his front pressed into his lover's body, setting off more sparks. He flushed with anticipation and glanced up into the blurry smirking face above him, pleading with his eyes. He needed it. The final act that would help push him over the edge. His lover, however, enjoyed making him hold out until he'd start to beg. _

_Pushing pride aside, he did so. "Please…!" He groaned out, losing breath quickly as his lover leaned down to nibble at his neck._

"_Please what?"- _

Cayden jolted back into his body, brows furrowed in confusion. Was that a memory from his "other life?" The one he lead as a normal 18-year-old boy before the sickness took over his body, ravishing it beyond repair. They'd claimed to have a cure and he'd taken them at their word. But when he'd even so much as came within a half a mile of a "survivor" he was shot and swung at. _Like some kind of lowly beast._ Their faces would show a mixture of fear and disgust. He'd shied away from coming into contact until necessary with them since then. And the only time he deemed necessary was when the painful hunger cramps would start in. Something only living flesh seemed to suppress.

Gagging at the thought he glanced down at his hands-or rather claws. They curled at the thought of food. His body seemed to have a mind of it's own when it came to the act of hunting and feeding. Something he was slightly thankful for since there was no way he'd get the food he needed on his own. His personality just wouldn't allow it.

Scanning the buildings and roads around him from his perch upon a chimney he pondered once again why the infection had chosen to make him a hunter. From what he could remember from overhearing some of the survivors, and seen from others like him, they were suppose to be ferocious beings who feared little and would brave almost anything to get the kill they wanted. Cayden had never been a very strong willed boy his entire life. That is to say, at least what he could remember of it. He actually remembered very little. A small scrap of a memory here, a familiar blurry face there. Nothing that helped him in the long run.

'_Except those dreams' _His mind spoke, almost tauntingly. In the dreams he'd had, whether they came while he was asleep or while he was daydreaming, they always featured him and someone else. Someone special. _His_ someone special. He just couldn't remember anything about them. Every time they'd start speaking or he'd feel like he was making progress he'd be jolted back into himself. It frustrated him beyond belief.

Shaking his head he sniffed the air and growled deep in his throat. He'd finally found what he was looking for. Since he knew he personally could never take on multiple survivors he'd always watched and waited for one to be by themselves. Eventually one either got cocky and ran off or had lost their teammates to one of his "cousins." Either way this saved him the trouble of having to worry and watch his back. Once his body took over his will was much to weak to control it till it was sated. And it didn't always think very intelligently.

Spotting his prey running down the alley close to his perch he felt his mouth curl up into a grin. The beast inside already taking control quickly, it wouldn't let him lose the opportunity because of his cowardice. Waiting till the young male was within reach he felt his back legs coil and flex as they drove him forward towards his prey, claws extended, ready to rip and tear into young flesh.

They never got the chance to however. Before he could even land on the boy his prey was pulled away at a blinding speed. It probably hadn't been that fast but with Cayden having eyes swollen shut and an almost second heat-like vision gained from his heightened sense of smell, it was fast. It was also confusing and caused the beast inside him to screech in anger as his body slammed into the ground. It should have hurt but it seemed that along with everything else the infection had also dulled his sense of pain which enabled him to jump ridiculous lengths without his muscles failing and made landing on his arms and legs easy, no matter the height. It barely even stung.

Lifting his head to "look" towards the top of the building he was crouched by, he could make out the shape of two things, one "living" and the other "non-living." The smells set off by the human showed up as reds and oranges, though fading out quickly, the color was deepened in and around the core. The other set off colors of blue and green, the blue being closer to the core this time and not fading at all. His own body looking exactly the same color as the latter. He could make out outlines as well, that's how he knew he had claws and also how he knew that the one who had stolen his meal was something called a "smoker". He could also tell the smoker was blatantly male, a sort of dominate and overpowering "aura" coming off his body, was just barely visible.

The body was tall and lanky, the smoker having a few inches of height over the teenage male he had killed. The only oddities from a normal human shape were a few tumors on the arms, the left side of the head and a few extra "tongues", as the survivors had called them, coming out of different places.

Cayden growled up at the smoker. "What the fuck did you do that for?" He screeched up, knowing the smoker had to have seen and heard him leaping. All he got in reply was a chuckle and then both the smoker and the boy disappearing from the edge. Cayden's inner beast demanded he chase down the bastard that had stolen his meal but the coward in him, it seemed, was stronger.

* * *

Cayden groaned and nearly screeched from the pain radiating throughout his body. He hadn't eaten in days, the smoker from before consistently showing up near the same prey and taking every opportunity to feed from him. The beast in him was not pleased. He had neither fed it nor satisfied it by exacting revenge on the smoker. It was getting almost impossible to hold down; at the faintest smell of healthy flesh it would go wild.

He knew it was all over the minute the team of 4 turned the corner leading them down the road in front of him. As if in a dream the beast in him coiled his legs and jumped directly on top of one the males. He smelled to be about in his thirties and had taken up the back of the group. From inside the back of his mind he could see the younger man that had been in front of the other turn around, clear blue eyes wide.

"Holy Shit! Hunter's got Nick!" He yelled, probably for the sake of keeping the other teammates from leaving, and jumped at Cayden, swinging the bat he held hard into the back of Caydens head. The world instantly darkened and he could hear the beast in him whimper in pain before everything came to a screeching halt.


	2. Chapter 2

How could you forget? Ch. 2

Chelsea Goldsmith

***Warnings- Left 4 Dead and anything associated with it belongs solely to Valve and the only things I claim as my own are the two main characters themselves and the "story" they go through.**

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_The moans and cries from the body beneath him were intoxicating. The way it thrashed and arched slightly as he caressed down it were phenomenal. He grinned and chuckled to himself. This one was his perfect match. His ideal lover._

_The body shuddered and arched again underneath him when his caressing hand made contact with his lovers hipbone. He smirked as he looked down at the blurry pleading face of his lover, the only thing he could really make out were their eyes, the darkest shade of green he'd ever seen._

_He leaned down to nibble at his lovers neck, another weak point, just as he heard the sweet word he'd been waiting for. _

"_Please…!" The voice trailing off almost as quickly as he had spoken, breathless from the nibbling bites he'd taken at the neck._

_A somewhat sadistic smirk formed on his lips again. "Please, what?" He teasingly asked, expecting the quick reply that came._

"_Please-_

Grier sighed, giving a slight cough afterwards, and sat up from leaning against the wall of the building he had chosen that night as his lookout. The dreams all ended the same way, right before the good part and right before the voice-no, his apparent lover, had spoken enough for him to make out who it might be. He'd been lucky and had "turned" while in his "old" home. He'd woken up on the floor in front of a desk in a familiar room that held an equally familiar mechanical machine._ 'Laptop' _somewhere in his brain echoed out of the darkness. Its screen was on and held an open word document. Only a few words were on it before a lot of random lettering and numbers. It looked like something had been pressing on the full keyboard for a while. It had probably been him when he passed out. The document held his first name, his age (20), and the words "Must find" before the random lettering and numbers began.

'_Must find what?'_ He growled angrily inside his head. From the small amount of things he remembered about himself, he was almost always alone. He preferred it that way and chased off anyone or anything that tried to get close. Letting others into his world was too much of an annoyance.

Coming back into himself, he stood to stretch and caught sight of something a building over. Shifting back into the shadows he studied it closer. It was a small figure covered from head to toe in what looked like a ratty blue hoodie, even rattier cargo pants, and lots of duct tape. Why he wasn't sure. The little hunter bastards all seemed to love the stuff. Perhaps it kept their cloths closer to their bodies enabling them to jump smoother and with less wind resistance. Frowning he froze on that thought, how he knew this crap was baffling! He could remember useless shit like that but not his actual life or anyone in it? The brain was a real bitch sometimes.

Focusing back on his little perched "cousin" he noticed when the hunters body tensed and his head swung around to one of the alleys around both the buildings they were occupying. Taking a step out slowly he made sure the hunters focus was dead set on whatever he was looking at and wouldn't cause him any near future problems. The small body never even twitched. Feeling confident he strode over to the edge just in time to see the teenage boy turn the corner of his building and head down the alley closer to the hunter.

A sadistic smile played over his lips. He figured if the hunter was that tensed it meant this little fool was his target. Still feeling annoyed at his dream he made the quick decision to take it out on the little runt. He probably had a pack he could just feed with anyway. Crouching slightly he watched the hunter for the signs of his attack keeping the human boy in the corner of his vision. When those short back legs coiled even more Grier looked down quickly at the boy and let lose his tongue without a second thought. It wrapped quickly and tightly around the young human males body and jerked him up towards Grier. Smirking when he heard the thud from below he slashed the boy's throat almost as a second thought and looked down on the pitiful creature below him. The hunter was studying him but it only took a small space of time before the hunter growled and spoke with a boyish voice.

"What the fuck did you do that for?" The smaller male screeched up at Grier, causing him to chuckle in satisfaction and move back from the edge. There was no way the little thing would take him on. He'd seen the look of cautious terror on the hunters face.

'_Smart boy.'_

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_

Grier lay on his back staring up at the puffs of smog coming from his self. For days now he'd pestered the little hunter by stealing every kill. The little brat would growl and run off, probably back to whatever pack he came from. '_Good, let someone else feel disappointment and shame.'_ He thought nastily and rolled over. Soon, however, he found little interest in simply laying there anymore. Sitting up he leaned his arms across the knees he pulled close to him and stared ahead deep in thought again. _That was how he had always kept the boredom back. It wasn't worth his time to go "hang out" with others…_ Startling at the sudden small memory Grier gritted his teeth in anger and pushed himself up off the floor.

He was just about to turn and head back to the temporary condo he was currently calling home when a quick movement to his left caught his eye. Turning fully towards it he stared in confused horror as the little hunter he had been pestering for days pounced right into the midst of a four-man healthy and organized survivor group.

'_What the fuck is that little shit thinking?' _His mind screamed from somewhere in the black recesses, the feeling of blinding panic setting in. Stepping up onto the edge of the billboard he had been loitering on he studied the scene unfolding before him. The little hunter flew through the air at a slower speed then he had days ago but the man he aimed at hadn't even seen the attack coming. Within a second the hunter had him pinned and was ripping into him with all his might.

The smoker frowned at this; the attack wasn't nearly as deadly as a hunter attack should have been, what was going on?

Almost as quickly as the hunter had pounced the younger man that had been a small ways in front of the other turned and yelled something at the top of his lungs, causing the large older gentleman and young looking female to turn sharply around, guns raised. They weren't even needed however, because the younger man had already leaped the short distance he needed to be to the side of the hunter and pinned man. Placing the bat he held over his shoulder, as if to swing upon a ball, he swung it forward into the back of the hunters skull. Hard.

Grier flinched as he watched the hunter twitch slightly before submitting to the darkness. He knew instantly that the little wanna-be attacker had to still be alive because while the younger man helped the older one-Nick he thought he'd heard- up the elder black man stepped up to their side and aimed his shotgun at the hunters head.

"Mama always said it wasn't polite to play with your food, guess you bastards are just gonna keep finding that out the hard way." He stated in a deep booming voice body tensing for when the shotgun would fire and slam back into his shoulder.

Without thinking Grier shot three of his tongues out all at once at the group. One making contact and knocking the older man on his side while another slapped both the other males on their butts. The third wrapped around the hunter and pulled back and up quickly. Scooping the airborne body of the hunter into his arms he turned and dropped down on the other side of a fence. Just as the young female had let off a few well-aimed bullets with her sniper rifle right where he had been standing.

Taking off as quickly as he could without causing a coughing attack Grier headed for his "home" not stopping until he had made it through the only "entrance" he had left unblocked. Which happened to be an open window on the second story. Glancing back he let out a relieved sigh/cough and looked down at the unconscious hunter in his arms. He had no idea what he was going to do with him now, let alone why he had saved him in the first place, but at least they were safe…for now.


	3. Chapter 3

How could you forget Ch. 3

Chelsea Goldsmith

***Warnings- Left 4 Dead and anything associated with it belongs solely to Valve and the only things I claim as my own are the two main characters themselves and the "story" they go through.**

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"_Please-fuck-me!" He yelled upward feeling the burning heat as a blush spread across his freckled face like wildfire. _

"_Good boy." His lover cooed down at him, combing their fingers through the shaggy auburn hair above his left ear before cupping the side of his face. A habit his lover had formed that he had grown to love. As his lover leaned in for a kiss he could make out the misty blue-grey eyes that he'd always loved and smiled up at them. In return his lover paused just long enough to grin down at him before pressing their lips together in a gentle kiss. _

"_Cayden…I love you." His lover leaned back from the kiss to whisper to him before sliding the hand that had been cupping the side of his face down his body, causing ripples of pleasure in its wake, before stopping to grip at his left hip. _

_Once again he smiled up at his lover and reached for them with both arms, wrapping them tightly around his lovers shoulders when they leaned down to accommodate him. _

"_I love you too G-_

Cayden jerked awake and pressed his cold hands against his equally cold cheeks. He wasn't warm blooded anymore. Blushing was no longer possible for him. Glancing down he released his face to pull at the clothes on his body. He was not naked either. It had all been a dream. Again.

Sighing in relief, and slight disappointment, Cayden felt the back of his head and flinched. _'I guess me being whacked upside the head was real'_ He thought and felt around for a bump that should have formed. His eyes narrowed in concentration. There was none, just dull ache that pulsed every time he ran his fingers over a certain spot.

"Have you finally come back to your senses dumbass?" a voice sniggered at him.

Cayden jerked his head towards the corner to the right of him and inhaled deeply. The Smoker…and something else? Cayden followed the sent with his "eyes" to the middle of the room. There a human lay squirming on the ground, panic vapors radiating from its body. His mouth began to water and the pain in his stomach returned full force. '_Food'_ was all the beast in him said before taking over and launching him at the human.

He was just a foot from the small female when something strong and wet wrapped around his arms and legs, capturing and holding him in midair while he screeched and squirmed.

"Calm down brat! We were having a conversation, you can eat in a second." The smoker spoke again and pulled the offending appendage holding Cayden close to him till they were face to face. Cayden snapped his teeth at him in warning. The smoker just smiled and seemed to be studying him.

When the smoker reached his hand up towards Cayden's face he flinched and the beast in him growled again. Was he going to hit him? Had he saved him only so he could toy with him some more before killing Cayden himself? He'd already caused Cayden to starve for three days what more could he possibly want?

Instead of hitting him however, the smoker cupped the left side of Cayden's face under his hood before he slid his fingers up into the hair above Cayden's ear. Though the beast in him was furious Cayden was simply shocked. The smoker was doing the exact same thing the lover in his dreams had.

The surprise must have showed on his face because the smoker scowled and jerked his hand back to his side before turning to walk away, releasing Cayden from the hold he'd had on him. Dropping to the floor Cayden quickly caught himself with his legs and hands and watched the smoker leave his side, pausing by the human on the floor.

The smoker turned back only long enough to point at the human and gruffly demand that Cayden "eat!" before turning and stalking out the window and into the night.

It took a second of staring after him before the beast reared up in his mind and demanded he feed as well. Feeling exhausted Cayden just slipped into the back of his conscious and allowed the beast within him to take control.

He watched in slight disgust as his body launched at the human and the beast in him celebrated this joyous occasion by ripping her to shreds. As she screamed out her obvious agony he distracted himself with thoughts of the smoker. Why had he done the same thing as the person in Cayden's dream? And why was the smoker so familiar to him in the first place?

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Cayden was crouched in the corner cleaning the blood from his hands and face with a rag he'd found in a drawer located in the room when the smoker returned. The smoker's eyebrows lifted quizzically at him but soon plastered the same old smirk on his face and lazily strode over to Cayden on his long legs.

Cayden watched him warily as he hovered above him and flinched when the smoker held out his hand.

"Com 'on brat, we're taking a shower." The smoker finally spoke grinning wickedly down at Cayden when he started to sputter.

"B-but…a s-shower? W-we?" Was all Cayden was able to sputter, his brain a confused mess. _Water_ was not his friend.

"Yes _we _are taking a shower. Now get your ass up and to the shower or I'm going to drag it there." The smoker's grin finally vanished to form a scowl as obvious annoyance started to set in.

Cayden didn't give the smoker time to rethink letting him walk on his own and quickly stood, uncomfortable because the smoker still loomed above him by a good foot or so. Cayden simply "looked" down at the ground and shifted from foot to foot as the smoker just stood there. Hadn't he wanted to shower? Did he really expect Cayden to know where it was?

Coughing out something unintelligible to Cayden the smoker turned on his heel and stalked across the room and out the door on the other side, close to the window he'd previously entered through. Cayden quickly followed, slowing only to "take in" the new surroundings when he entered the hallway and locate in which direction the smoker was headed.

The hall was pretty much exactly like all the other two-story houses in this town. They all had either real or fake wood floors, Cayden couldn't tell, with stairs at one end and a litter of doors leading to either bedrooms or bathrooms. A nagging sensation in the back of Cayden's mind caused him to believe he had been to this particular one before however. The doors were all wooden as well but they each had a flurry of designs and/or posters and magazine clippings covering most of the wood surfaces.

The door to the room they had been in wasn't any different, though he had a feeling it had been more a spare than someone's bedroom. It was probably just the fact that it was pretty barren; _he couldn't possibly have just known it was a spare_.

Shaking his head Cayden glanced back down the hall just in time to see the smokers back disappear into the doorway closest to the stairs that lead to the first floor. Not wanting to invoke his anger again Cayden hurried to follow but once again paused when he entered the room. This scene also felt extremely familiar, much like how seeing the name 'Cayden' written on many of the things in the room he'd "awoken" in, as well as the room itself, had been.

The room was colored a cool shade of green and was filled with all sorts of interesting objects. The bed was located in the center of the room and was massive, with covers simply crinkled hap hazardously at the foot of it as if someone had just woken up and crawled out in a hurry. The desk to the left side of the bed as well as the two bookshelves side-by-side on the wall to the right of Cayden were normal sized but were covered in books, magazines, artistic supplies, and a large computer system holding reign over most of the surface of the desk. The floor was wooden with two medium sized rugs, also decorated with some kind of logo's or designs, near the left side and foot of the bed. Besides the one on the ceiling there was only one other light fixture on the right side of the bed, probably so whoever had lived there could lay in bed and read from the books and magazines.

The familiarity, and sense of having been here an uncountable amount of times, hit Cayden like a hard punch to the gut. He could remember vaguely not having lived in this place but having spent much of his time here. But why? Was this a close friends house? Had he possibly known the smoker in his life or had the smoker simply taken over the house of someone close to Cayden?

Before he could even really begin contemplating these thoughts further the smoker poked his head around the corner of the doorway to the left of the bed and glowered at him before stepping forward and leaning his shoulder against the doorframe. He was shirtless and though his color was inhuman the man still had an excellent physique.

"Are you going to stand there admiring the décor or are you going to get your ass over here to shower?" The smoker hissed at him, obviously having lost his patience for Cayden not doing what he wanted.

"Y-you're s-serious 'bout b-ba-bathing t-together?" Cayden managed to finally choke out, his face quickly trying to masked his shock and embarrassment by pulling his hoodie down lower over his face. A long silence followed his question, causing Cayden to fidget in place before jumping and just managing to suppress a yelp of surprise as the weight of the smokers hand landed on his shoulder.


	4. Chapter 4

How could you forget? Ch. 4

Chelsea Goldsmith

***Warnings- Left 4 Dead and anything associated with it belongs solely to Valve and the only things I claim as my own are the two main characters themselves and the "story" they go through.**

**Popped it out earlier than I bet a lot of you were expecting. Bet grateful, it is becoming a bitch to work on Grier's part because his side is basically just a repeat of Cayden's only from his point of view. The only reason chapter one and two were a bit more different is because the characters had yet to actually interact much with each other. It's getting old so I am no longer going to be writing it like this, i'll just be continuing where I left off from the other. I'm hoping this will help me write more on it. Insight on how that makes any of y'all feel would be awesome. If enough people want Grier's posts to stay the same I'll just force myself to work through it.**

**Enjoy!**

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_"Please-fuck-me!" His love yelled up towards the ceiling as an adorable blush spread across their face._

_"Good boy." He cooed down at them in pleasure and ran the fingers of his left hand through their shaggy auburn hair right above their left ear. He loved the feel of the soft texture running like silk over his fingers. Feeling the need to reward them for their "good behavior" he leaned down and caught sight of a beautiful pair of forest green eyes then paused. It wasn't the eyes that made him pause however; it was the cute smile his lover had just shown him, like they could never see anyone else but him in their world. The pause only lasted a moment before he grinned back at them and then pressed their lips together gently._

_"Cayden…I love you." He leaned back to whisper to them before sliding his left hand down their body slowly, enjoying the shudders it invoked, before coming to grip at their left hip._

_His lover once again smiled that sweet smile at him as they wrapped their arms around his shoulders and he leaned down to make the hold less awkward._

_"I love you too, Grier."_

Grier's eyes popped open wide as the confusion in his mind started to take the form of panic. In his memory/dream thing he'd clearly said "boy" and he was pretty sure that Cayden was _not_ a girl's name.

"You have to be fucking kidding me…" He growled into the darkness and looked up as the once still form on the bed jerked awake. It looked as though the hunter had also had a bit of a shock.

The sinking feeling in Grier's gut started to feel heavier as his suspicions took over. The anger was almost immediate with the thought that started to bombard his brain.

_No, no, NO!_ He inwardly screamed to shut the other voice up.

Instead of showing his panic he simply directed his unhappiness towards the small creature currently in the middle of his own mental break down.

"Have you finally come back to your senses dumbass?" He sniggered at him. Pleased when the boy jerked towards him in surprise and took a visible sniff of the air to identify him.

The look didn't last long however as soon he obviously picked up the scent of the human woman Grier had gone out earlier to retrieve for the hunter when he awoke. As he had carried the hunter back to his "hideout" he had noticed how light the damn thing had been and was surprised by the twist in his gut at the thought that he had unintentionally been causing the creature to suffer.

Logically he knew he shouldn't feel guilty, he didn't even know the hunter after all, but for some reason his emotions thought differently so out he went while the hunter rested to collect food for the malnourished slip of a boy.

It didn't take but a few seconds after the hunter had zeroed in on the human before he was flying through the air at a ridiculous speed towards her. One of Grier's second "tongues", the one located on the back of his shoulder, shot out almost as quickly and wrapped firmly around the hunter, halting his descent upon the female by only a short distance. Though the other tongues weren't as strong as the main one located inside his mouth he hated not being able to talk while using the damn thing and so found himself using the "extras" more often. The more use he got out of them the stronger he noticed them become.

The tiny boy screeched in obvious anger and slight desperation and wriggled his body around in Grier's hold. This made holding him a bit more difficult but the hunter was so drained from having not eaten he didn't put up as much of a fight as he should have been able.

"Calm down brat! We were having a conversation, you can eat in a second." He snapped at the boy before drawing the tongue in closer to himself until the little hunter and him were face to face. The snap of teeth the runt gave him was far less threatening than it was amusing and he grinned to show it.

This all felt so familiar, like he had been doing it his whole life. The hunter himself was extremely familiar. Eerily so.

Reaching up with a sudden urge to touch the boy, Grier didn't hesitate when the little hunter released a warning growl and internally shadowed the confusion that showed on the hunter's face.

The first touch of their skin together when Grier's hand finally cupped the side of the boy's face sent a shock through him. Intrigued he soon slid his hand upwards seeking the hair hidden below the dark hood. The motion felt so right and by the look the hunter was giving him the situation was familiar to him as well.

The shocked but curious face the hunter was giving him snapped Grier back from his daze and caused him to become angry with himself. Jerking his hand back and releasing the tongue from the hunter he berated himself internally. Just what the _fuck_ was he doing?

_I must still be ill, that has to be it. There is no way another male holds any attraction to me. Disgusting!_ His mind screaming the last at him anger and he turned from the hunter to head for the only exit the building held, which was the window, pausing only for a second at the human female.

She lay tangled in the net she had tried to use on him and jerked around in fear. He had gotten sick of her screaming on the way and had tied her limbs with it before stuffing a ripped piece of her shirt into her open mouth. The muffled noises were still annoying, however. He would not mourn her finally being forever silenced by the hunter.

Turning back towards the boy for only a moment he pointed at the girl. "Eat." He demanded before turning once more to flee out the window into the rotten stink of the dying city.

As he moved farther and farther from the two-story condo he heard the screams of the girl as the hunter obviously mutilated her. He must have caught the rag that had been keeping her quiet with one of his claws; it wasn't like those beasts were really aiming for anything in particular when they attacked.

Why would he be attracted to a _beast?_

_

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_

Stepping a long leg through the opening of the second story window first, the rest of Grier's equally long body soon followed. The first sight that he picked up was the mess that had once been a young human female in the center of the room. The second was of the young hunter crouching in the corner wiping furiously at his hands with what looked to be an old rag. He had to raise his eyebrows at this.

When had a hunter ever cared about its appearance?

The minute the thought crossed his mind so too did another one. Something more on the devious side and that the hunter would almost definitely find unpleasant. Planting the same cocky grin he'd noticed himself using often, he decided that course of action was most definitely worth seeing through.

When he started moving forward on those long lower limbs of his, the boy seemed to shrink even more but made no move to flee. He just watched him with open apprehension and even flinched when Grier lowered his hand in assistance.

_Smart boy._

"Com 'on brat, we're taking a shower." Grier ordered when the hunter made no move to accept the offered hand. He could feel the smile stretching his face start to take on a more wicked appearance.

"B-but…a s-shower? W-we?" Was what finally croaked out of the tiny runt's mouth.

"Yes _we_ are taking a shower. Now get your ass up and to the shower or I'm going to drag it there." Grier practically snapped back at him as the smile left his face completely. At least he achieved getting the boy to make his decision quicker, though he did not use the offered hand when he suddenly stood.

The moment the hunter was standing, if not slightly hunched, in front of him the eye contact was broken. The boy lowered his head and seemed to be studying the ground between them. Grier knew that was virtually impossible seeing as the hunter's eyes would never again open. He had to have some form of vision however or else he would not be able to maneuver as well as he did.

Soon the boy started shifting his weight from one foot to the other, most likely as a nervous habit. It was really sort of adorable to watch. The boy looked like a forlorn child prepared for the chewing out of his life.

"Cute."

The word left Grier's mouth before he could stop it and he was grateful for the cough that accompanied it. It was rough enough that the hunter probably hadn't understood. It didn't seem as though it had but the fact that he even worded it caused him to turn away sharply and start heading for the door.

He didn't glance back once as he made the trip from one room to the next and then the bathroom beyond. He knew the layout perfectly and felt a sense of rightness being there. He could easily assume that the condo had been his in the previous life as well.

Once he entered the bathroom located in the master bedroom he started to undress before he sensed the hesitation in the hunter in the other room. What the hell, did he need to leash the damn thing for it to fully listen?

Slamming the shirt he'd removed from his body onto the linoleum floor he backtracked to the bedroom, glancing out first to see what the boy was doing.

Nothing. Not a damned thing but standing there staring at the room as if it would eat him.

Exiting the bathroom fully Grier leaned against the doorframe and glared at the boy.

"Are you going to stand there admiring the décor or are you going to get your ass over here to shower?" Grier hissed angrily at him. Enough was enough.

"Y-you're s-serious 'bout b-ba-bathing t-together?" Was the quick reply Grier got and he'd bet if it were possible the boy's face would have changed into a red as deep as the blood staining his claws and clothes. One clawed hand even reached up to pull the hoodie down further over his face in an attempt to hide the embarrassment that was plastered all over it.

Though the whole thing was cute, Grier was getting sick of the waiting and walked on silent predatory feet over to the little hunter. Only alerting him to his presence when he placed a hand on the humpy hunter's left shoulder.

_No more Mister Nice-Guy._


	5. Chapter 5

How could you forget? Ch. 5

Chelsea Goldsmith

***Warnings- Left 4 Dead and anything associated with it belongs solely to Valve and the only things I claim as my own are the two main characters themselves and the "story" they go through.**

* * *

It didn't take Cayden long to figure out exactly why the smoker had approached him. He'd had about a whole second to ponder it before his world tilted downward as he was lifted up and then slung over the smokers shoulder like some sack of goods.

He would have immediately started fighting for freedom if it weren't for the fact that as soon as he was able to register he was basically hanging upside down the smoker swung around suddenly, further disorientating him, to start the short trek back to the bathroom.

Cayden was actually sort of glad that he was no longer human and could no longer get motion sick from something like this. It was unpleasant, yes, but did no actual damage in the long run. As a human he probably would have become dizzy and made a fool of himself.

When the smoker finally set him back on his feet he had but a moment to collect his bearings and "glance" around at the new surroundings. A moment was all he really needed anyway. Besides the smoker it wasn't anything different from any other bathroom he'd seen before.

The sink was located near the doorway with the toilet not far from it on the opposite side. Behind Cayden was the shower/bathtub with a flimsy "teenage mutant ninja turtles" decorated shower curtain pushed carelessly to one side. The floor, sink, toilet, and bathtub were all white. The only other color besides the curtain was the pale blueness of the walls.

Cayden wasn't exactly sure how he knew what was printed on the curtain but he just knew. He had a feeling these "teenage mutant ninja turtles" were even something he had liked as a human. Strange how in life he had liked mutants and in death he was one. Could you say "Irony for the win?"

He'd noticed, as with the walls, that as long as something wasn't alive or at least pulsing with some kind of life he could vaguely make out their actual colors. He only assumed he and the smoker were green because weren't most zombies? Isn't that what was always shown on the television?

The random memories like that were annoying and he had a feeling that besides him, and maybe the other "special" zombies, none of the others had much consciousness or memories at all. He didn't know if that could be taken as a blessing or a curse.

Glancing up at the smoker Cayden tensed when he saw an unexpected hand heading towards him. Really, what had he been expecting though? For the smoker to just let him stand there like a fool?

"Come on Shrimp, you're wasting my time." The smoker spoke close to his face as he leaned down to grab the edge of Cayden's hoodie. "Either you take it off or _I_ do."

The perverse grin the smoker had as he spoke the last was enough to cause Cayden to start trembling. Let some zombie he didn't even know _strip_ him? He took a step back and started ripping the hoodie from his person quickly, tearing through the duct tape easily, before the smoker had a chance to think about it again.

Next came the ragged t-shirt underneath the hoodie and then Cayden stood there awkwardly once again watching in fascination as the tall smoker leaned down to undo the laces on his own shoes before pulling both them and his socks off.

Luckily the smoker didn't seem to notice Cayden's current "break" and focused instead on shedding the last of his own clothing. Cayden had seen others boys naked before, he knew that, logically he did. Obviously he had to have gone to a gym class in middle and high school, it didn't make sense that he wouldn't. But he couldn't seem to catch the hitch in his breath as the smoker slid first his pants and then his boxers down his lanky body to be dropped on the floor with the rest of his clothes.

When the smoker stood completely nude before Cayden he stretched to his full height, towering over Cayden with his arms crossed over his chest, head tilted slightly to the side, with a look that seemed to appraise Cayden as if he were nothing more than a piece of meat.

"I don't understand it…" The smoker muttered out loud, further confusing Cayden.

"Don't understand what?" Cayden asked quietly, fearful that if he spoke too loudly it would break the current dam holding the smokers more volatile side back.

With the sound of Cayden's voice the smoker seemed to snap slightly out of his daze and approached him, continuing even when Cayden backpedaled to escape whatever it was the smoker was going to do. When Cayden's back hit the coolness of the bathroom wall the smoker placed both his hands next to either side of Cayden's head and leaned in, becoming "eye" level with Cayden.

"I don't understand what's so special about you. Why can't I get the sight of you out of my mind? The smell of you out of my nose?" The smoker hissed the questions at him in anger but Cayden still couldn't suppress the shudder of pleasure that ran the length of his spine at the smoker's closeness.

It felt right, you know, when Cayden wasn't feeling fear. And even the smoker had just admitted to feeling something between them hadn't he?

"I-I don't know." Cayden finally answered after an awkward silence. The smoker snorted his disdain and pushed himself off the wall to stand up straight, once again towering over Cayden. Though intimidated Cayden plowed forward, "I don't know, but it has to mean something doesn't it?" he finished, surprised to realize it was one of the only times he hadn't stuttered around the other man.

"Whatever it is you're getting at shrimp, I'm not buying." The smoker growled down at Cayden stubbornly and something inside him snapped.

"My name is not shrimp, or dumbass, or even brat! It's Cayden! Cay-den! Would you knock it off with the nicknames!" Cayden finally yelled at the man in frustration. He'd had just about plenty of the short jokes and though he was normally even-tempered, enough was enough.

The other man simply smirked at him victoriously. Cayden had been feeling rather confident in his standing until that point. You know, until he'd danced to the tune of this assholes drum. Again.

"Y-you're a fucking asshole." Cayden muttered at the floor completely deflated. What in the world had he ever done to be stuck with such a dick?

A hand patting him on top of the head gently startled him out of his pout. "Calm down, _Cayden_. My name is Grier, I'm just as sick of not knowing my partners name as you are. Plus," He added and then leaned down once more, this time placing his mouth next to Caydens ear before continuing, "I'd like you to know for whom it is you'll be screaming for later."

Although he couldn't blush anymore Cayden knew he'd have been had it been possible. The smoker seemed to enjoy him constantly being in a state of discomfort and he had to wonder why. What was so fun about causing Cayden trouble?

"Though honestly," the smoker leaned back and continued in a conversational tone as if he had never said anything out of the ordinary, "I'm not really sure if I'd much enjoy hearing a hunter screech in the middle of it."

All right, it was now official. The man was completely bonkers.

"You're crazy." Cayden spoke up again watching Grier closely as he did so, "You do know I'm a male right? Of course you'd have to know, I don't have any breasts! So why is it that you feel the need to...mate…with me?" He finished feeling silly for his choice in words but not really having a better way to voice it.

The man in question stared down at Cayden for a few moments before a wide grin split his usually bored expression into one of enjoyment. Not long after, a chuckle joined the grin and then full-blown laugher soon followed. Cayden wasn't particularly appreciative of any of it.

"Oh man, Cayden, you're priceless!" Grier choked out as Cayden felt something large land on his head and proceed to ruffle his hair. Great, he was being treated like a child on top of everything. This was the second damn time the man had touched his head. Though he'd be lying if he said he disliked _all_ of it. "You speak as if reading from a textbook or something! Breasts? "Mate?" You've got to be kidding me!" The man continued admits bouts of laughter and coughing leaving Cayden to simply stand there gawking at him oddly.

"I don't see what's so funny about it…" Cayden muttered under his breath and slapped away the hand that ruffled his hair again soon after.

"Lighten up, Cayden. You'll develop wrinkles in your undeath if you're not careful." Grier finished up the laughter with that little statement as well as wiping away an imaginary tear from under his eye.

Cayden wasn't certain how to react to that statement, surely the man was joking. Develop wrinkles in his "undeath?" Was undeath even a word? He doubted it but the last thing he needed was to put the Smoker on edge again so he simply stood there continuing his confused "stare."

It didn't take the Smoker, or rather Grier, very long to sober up after he saw the "look" Cayden was giving him. The taller man released what sounded like a defeated sigh and turned to the shower after a moment. He turned it on with a quick twist of his wrist making Cayden jump at the sudden sound of water slapping against the bottom of the tub. Any comfortable feeling Cayden might have managed up till then vanished in an instant.

"Uh…Are…Are you certain we have to b-b-bath?" Cayden managed to spit out as he felt tremors of discomfort shake his entire being.

Without turning back to Cayden, Grier stepped inside the shower and made a pleasing sound as the assumed warm water cascaded down his chest. Perhaps if it was so great he'd just let Cayden sit there and not have to touch it? What was so wrong with just being wiped clean with a rag anyway?

Before he was really able to solidify that thought and attempt to put it into words he felt the now familiar sensation of the smokers tongue wrapping around his midsection to lift him up off the ground and another quickly rip his trousers, and underwear, from his person. Also just as quickly he was dumped into the tub in front of the smoker who'd moved back to make room.

As he scrambled back from the offending spray that continued to splatter on his face messing with his "vision" he felt two strong hands instead of slimy appendages steady him with a grip on his arms. A calming "Whoa it's okay" followed and somehow the contact actually did make Cayden relax a bit. Or as much as a hunter could when confronted with something like _water_.

"Good boy." The smoker spoke close to his ear so he could hear it well even over the roar of the pounding water.

Had Cayden felt like he was being treated like a child? _Dog_ was probably a more accurate term.


End file.
